Daughter to Father

I loved you the way only a daughter can
and hated you the way a woman who has had
her heart broken does when she realizes that
a first love does not always last.

You were never there to see

I was the unfinished symphony
waiting
for its composer to return
so that its melody could be
heard.

You were never there to see

I was the rose that grew from concrete,
the tree that grows in Brooklyn.
If my leaves droop,
and my branches hang low,
who do you have to blame
but yourself?

Am I bitter?
Far from it.
I am the sweetest girl
you could ever hope to meet.
If only you were there,
maybe you would know.

But it's too late now,
I've grown.
My petals have unfurled,
my trunk is strong.
Watered only with
my mother's love,
I am the one
reaching up to Heaven.

But you won't be there to see.